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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
Measurement of Carotenoids in Perifovea using the Macular Pigment Reflectometer
Published on: January 29, 2020
Macular pigment optical density in an ageing Irish population: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing
John M Nolan1, Roseanne Kenny, Claire O'Regan
1Macular Pigment Research Group, Department of Chemical and Life Sciences, Waterford Institute of Technology, and Institute of Vision Research, Whitfield Clinic, Waterford, Ireland. jmnolan @ wit.ie
Purpose:
The 3 carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, which account for the 'yellow spot' at the macula and which are referred to as macular pigment (MP), are believed to play a role in visual function and protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) via their optical and antioxidant properties. This study was undertaken to compare MP optical density (MPOD) in a population aged > or =50 years with MPOD values from a normative database of subjects aged 18-60 years.
Methods:
Seventy-nine subjects were recruited into this pilot study (The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing-TILDA). MPOD was measured using heterochromatic flicker photometry. Retinal fundus photographs, lifestyle data and general health data, were also obtained.
Results:
The mean +/- SD age of the 79 subjects recruited into this study was 65 +/- 11 years. There was a moderate, but statistically significant, age-related decline in MPOD at 0.5 degrees in the TILDA data (r = -0.251, p = 0.045), which remained upon merging with a normative database of an additional 462 subjects aged between 18 and 67 years (r = -0.179, p = 0.000).
Conclusions:
We report an inverse association between MPOD and increasing age. Longitudinal data in a larger cohort of participants are required to satisfactorily investigate the relationship between the optical density of this pigment and age, and with risk for development and/or progression of AMD. This pilot study represents a first step in this endeavour.
